Method of forming containers with paper hoops



Nov. 10, 1936. 5. SMITH 2 METHOD OF FORMING CONTAINERS WITH PAPER HOOPS Original Filed March 2, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 10, 1936. 5. SMITH METHOD'OF FORMING CONTAINERS WITH PAPER P IOOPS s'speets-sneei 2 Original Filed March 2, 1933 i swa Snfith MMM Nov. 10 1936. v 5. SMITH 2,060,642

METHOD OF FORMING CONTAINERS WITH PAPER HOOPS Original Filed March 2, 1933 5 Sheets-Shag 3 SW an Smith Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF FORMING CONTAINERS WITH PAPER Swan Smith, White B HOOPS ear, Minn., assignor to 659,270. Divided and 1935, Serial No. 24,656

8 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of manufacturing paper containers and particularly to conical containers open at the upper end and having a hoop or rim encircling the container at the open upper end.

Anobject of the invention resides in providing a method of forming the hoop or rim, which consists in winding a narrow strip of paper upon itself and gluing the convolutions thereof together to form a composite structure of the desired shape and form.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a method of forming the hoop which consists in utilizing a strip of paper of varying width adapted to form a conical bore within the hoop fitting the conical surface of the container.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a method of constructing the rim for the container which consists in winding the strip of paper directly upon the container.

An object of the invention resides in the method of forming the rim or hoop Without waste of material.

Another object of the invention resides in the method of forming hoops which consists in unwinding a thin strip of flexible material of the width of the maximum length of the hoop, in cutting the strip lengthwise during the unwinding thereof and shifting the line of cut from one edge of the strip to the other during the unwinding of the strip to form two portions, in attaching the narrow portion of the strip to a mandrel and winding the same about the mandrel, in attaching the wider portion of the strip to a reel and winding the same about the reel simultaneously with the formation of the hoop and in subsequently attaching the outer end of the reeled portion of the strip to a mandrel to form a second hoopfrom such portion of the strip.

Another object of the invention resides in the method of applying fasteners to the hoop which consists in laying the fasteners upon the container or a partly formed hoop with the eyes thereof projecting outwardly beyond the end of the hoop and in winding the strip upon the container, or previously formed part of the hoop so as to imbed the fastener within the wall structure or hoop of the container.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

This application for patent is a division of my copending application for patent for Container this application June 3,

and hoop construction, Serial No. 659,270, filed March 2, 1933.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a container with the cover removed illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hoop utilized with the container shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the method of forming the hoop illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a modification of the container shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the cover attached thereto.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 taken on line fi6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 3 of a hoop illustrating another form of fastener attached thereto.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the fasteners used with the hoop shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the fasteners used with the hoop shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a modification of the fastener shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the method of applying the strip of paper directly to the container.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 11.

In the construction of paper containers utilizing a hoop, considerable difficulty has been encountered in applying the hoop to the container and in causing the hoop to fit the conical body of the container and at the same time the cylindrical flange of the cover thereof. In addition, difiiculty has been encountered in securing the fasteners to the container proper. The present invention provides a simple, practical and economical method of applying the hoop and fasteners to the container, whereby these disadvantages are entirely eliminated.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown in Fig. 1 a container A which may be constructed in any suitable manner. This container is open at the top as designated at In and consists of a conical wall I I having any suitable bottom construction attached thereto, which is not shown in the drawings. The open end H) of this container is adapted to be closed through a cover l2 (Fig. 2) which consists of a planiform portion I3 extending across the open end of the container and a flange l4 depending downwardly from the portion l3. The flange l4 extends at right angles to the plane of the planiform portion l3 and is spaced from the container proper. Encircling the upper part of the conical wall II of the container is a hoop I 5 which is formed with a conical inner surface l6 adapted to fit against the outer conical surface ll of the wall ll of the container. This hoop is further con structed with an outer cylindrical surface l8 adapted to fit against the inner cylindrical surface IQ of the flange l4. These various parts will now be described in detail.

The container proper A may be constructed of sheets of flexible material such as paper or the like, secured one to the other to form the wall structure I I. The cover I2 may be similarly constructed from sheets arranged in overlying relation and glued together, the flange l4 being pressed outwardly from the planiform portion l3 through suitable dies. However, any other construction may be used in the formation of these parts of the container, the particular construction thereof forming no particular feature of this invention.

The hoop I5 is constructed from a strip of thin flexible material such as paper or the like. The method of constructing this hoop can best be comprehended from Fig. 4, which diagrammatically illustrates a device by means of which the hoop may be formed. A roll of paper 28 consisting of a strip 26 of a width equal to the height of the hoop as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 and of suitable length to form a sufficient number of convolutions to build up one or more hoops of the desired thickness is reeled upon a core 2| carried by a spindle 22. This strip 26 of paper passes through a rotary shear 23 which consists of two rotary cutters 24 and 25 which are driven to cut the strip of paper 26 which is unwound from the roll 20 lengthwise thereof. This divides the said strip 26 into two portions 21 and 28 which are separated from one another. The shear 23 is mounted to travel laterally of the strip 26 and is originally placed near the forward edge of the strip as viewed in Fig. 4, and moves toward the rear edge of the strip as the strip is unwound from the roll. At the start the portion 21 is the narrow portion of the strip. This portion is run over a gluing roll 29 which picks up glue or other adhesive from a .glue receptacle 39 and coats the under surface of the portion 21 of the strip. The extreme end 3| of the portion 2'! is placed beneath a finger 32 attached to a mandrel 33 which is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 34 and driven in any suitable manner. As the mandrel 33 turns, the strip 21 is wound upon said mandrel and the various convolutions formed, wound one upon the other and simultaneously glued together. The mandrel 33 is constructed with a conical surface 35 which has the same taper as the surface of the wall ll of the container A. The strip 2'! is secured to mandrel 33 at the end thereof having the lesser diameter and the forward edge of the strip 21 is maintained in the plane of the lower end of the hoop during the winding of the strip upon the mandrel. Due to the fact that the shear 23 is moved across the strip, the cut edge thereof forms the portion 21 with a taper and the said edge progresses along the mandrel 33 toward the end thereof having the larger diameter.

At the same time the portion 21 is attached to the mandrel 33, the wider end of the portion 28 which I have indicated at 36, is similarly attached under a finger 31 to a reel 38 mounted upon a shaft 39. This reel is so driven that the portion 28 of strip 26 is simultaneously wound upon said reel as the mandrel 33 rotates and the hoop proper is being formed. When the shear 23 runs off from the width of the strip of paper 21, the portion 28 terminates and the shaft 39 is stopped. The strip 26 is then fed upon the tapered portion of the hoop until the upper end of the hoop is of sufiicient thickness. After such thickness has been procured, the strip 26 is cut and the hoop is completed, taking the form shown in Fig. 3. In this manner a hoop is formed from a continuous strip of paper, or similar material, without curving the strip, forming a finished hoop as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 with a tapered inner surface l6 and a cylindrical outer surface M. By properly selecting the angle of taper of the cut edge of the strip the taper of the inner surface l6 of the hoop can be made of any desired angle to fit the angle of taper of the conical surface ll of the wall ll of the container. Also by utilizing the strip of full width any thickness of hoop desired can be constructed.

After the hoop has been constructed from the portion 2! of strip 26 and completed, the same may be removed from the mandrel 33. Thereafter the end of the portion 28 last Wound upon the reel 38 is passed through a similar gluing device and wound upon a mandrel similar to the mandrel 33, excepting that said second named mandrel is left handed as comparedto the mandrel 33, the portion thereof of lesser diameter being disposed at the opposite end of the mandrel. When the shear 23 leaves the edge of the strip 26, the narrow part of the portion 28 is formed which is outermost on the reel 38. This portion of the strip is hence ready to be immediately used to form another hoop. The procedure then continues with the portion 28 in identically the same manner as the portion 21 and another hoop is formed in identically the same manner.

In order to give sufiicient thickness to the thinner end of the hoop, a portion of the sheet 26 of the full width of said strip is first wound upon the reel 38 before the shear 23 is brought into action. When a sufficient amount of the strip of full width has been wound from this reel, shear 23 is caused to engage the strip. At such instance, the portion 2'! is formed which is utilized as previously described to form a hoop. After both hoops have been formed, the procedure is again repeated and other pairs of hoops constructed in like manner. It will readily be comprehended with this invention that the hoops may be constructed from rolls of paper or similar material and without waste. At the same time hoops may be formed with a conical inner surface to engage the conical surface of the container and with a cylindrical outer flange of the cover.

Where the container and hoop construction is constructed as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the cover [2 may be secured to the container proper in any desired manner. If wished, wires may be strung across the container and twisted underneath the lowermost edge 40 of the hoop l5 to hold the cover in place. If desired, fasteners may be directly secured to the hoop and particularly while the same are being constructed. One such form of fastener is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 8 which may be applied to the hoop after the same has been completed. This fastener is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 41. The fastener 41 is preferably constructed of wire which is bent to form an eye 42 and to provide two elongated parallel portions 43 and 45 extending outwardly therefrom. The ends of these portions are bent to form prongs 55 and 46 which are preferably sharpened at their ends and which extend at right angles to a plane containing the elongated portions and fi l. The fasteners 51 are applied to the inner surface iii of hoop 15 by forcing the prongs t and 5t; through the body of the hoop toward the exterior surface l8 of the hoop. When the fastener has been properly applied the elongated portions 53 and M lie along the inner surface 85 of the hoop and the eye 42 projects outwardly therefrom. In the application of the hoop to the container, the same is slipped over the bottom of the container and forced into place over the marginal portion of wall structure l l at the open end of the container. As the hoop is forced in place the elongated portions 43 and 44 of fastener ii are wedged in between the surfaces it and ii of the hoop and wall structure of the container and through the action of prongs 45 and held firmly attached to the hoop.

In order to hold the cover I2 in place upon the container, a wire 53 is employed which is threaded through the various eyes -52 and extended across the planiform portion it! of the cover as indicated at and 55. The ends 5| and 52 of this wire are twisted together as designated at 53, serving to hold the wire in proper position. In Fig. 5 I have shown three fasteners as utilized, though it can readily be comprehended that any number of fasteners may be employed. Likewise the wire 48 may extend across the top in any suitable manner I instead of in the particular manner illustrated so long as the said wires operate to hold the cover applied to the container. Where an even number of fasteners are used, wires may, if desired, extend across the middle of the cover. As the ends and of the wire 48 are twisted, the eyes 42 are hrought against the underside Ml of the hoop l 5 and take the position shown in Fig. 6.

As previously stated the fasteners may be imbedded' in the hoop as the same is constructed.

Figs. 7 and 9 I have illustrated such construction. The fastener used with this form of the invention is shown in Fig. 9 and is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 54. This fastener is constructed of wire similar to the fastener il is formed with an eye 55 similar to the eye 52. From this eye issue two elongated portions 55 and 51 which terminate in lateral portions 58 and 59 disposed in substantial alignment with respect to one another and disposed substantially in the plane of the two planiform portions 55 and 51.

After a suitable length of the portion 2! of strip has been wound upon the mandrel 33, the various fasteners ti l are placed in proper position upon the partly formed hoop and the winding of the strip continued. The lateral portions 58 and 59 are preferably arranged at the cut edge of the strip which forms shoulders for holding these parts of the fasteners from movement. After the hoop is completed the elongated portions 56 and 5'! in the fastener become imbedded between laminations or convolutions of the hoop while the eyes 55 project outwardly beyond the lower edge 45 of the hoop. When the hoop shown in Fig. 7 is forced upon the end of the container portions 58 and 59 of the various fasteners are wedged in between the outer ace ll! of the wall structure iii and the inner surrace 55 of hoop l5. This causes the fasteners to become securely anchored to the container and hoop construction.

For convenience in assembly, the portions 58 and 59 of adjoining fasteners may be connected together. In Fig. 10 a device of such construction is shown having fasteners 59, 6! and 62 constructed identically the same as the fasteners 54 with portions 55 and 54 connecting the same and with end portions 55 and 55 between the fasteners 50 and 62. These end portions may overlap if desired. The structure shown in Fig. 10 may be unwound from a suitable reel and simultaneously imbedded in between the laminations of the hoop as the strip from which the hoop is constructed is being wound upon the mandrel. When desired number of fasteners have been unwound to completely encircle the hoop, the wire from which the fasteners are constructed is cut off and the feeding of fasteners discontinued.

In describing my invention I have particularly referred to the utilization of the invention to form a. hoop with a conical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface. It can, however, be readily comprehended that the reverse may be also procured. Also a hoop may be constructed having two conical inner or outer surfaces extending in opposite directions. I have also referred to the hoop as being formed on a mandrel.

If desired, the strip from which the hoop is constructed may be directly wound upon the end of the container on which it is to be employed and thereby firmly secured to the same.

In Figs. 11 and 12 I have shown the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 4 used to apply the strip from which the hoop is constructed directly to the container. In order to accomplish this result the container itself is rotated and for this purpose a mandrel l 3 is employed which is exactly the same shape as the mandrel 33. This mandrel is, however, a iittle smaller so as to fit into and support the container proper which is held in place thereon by friction. In Fig. 12 the container on which the strip is being wound is indicated by the reference numeral I34 and is shown applied to the mandrel E33. The strip 26 from which the hoop or rim is constructed runs through the shearing cutters 24 and 25, which divide the strip into the two portions 21 and 28. At the start the portion 21 is the narrow portion of the strip. portion is run over the gluing roll 29 and is directly attached to the outer surface of the container i3 2 by means of the glue applied to the same. The method of forming the hoop after the free end of the strip has been attached is identically the same as previously described, the strip being glued upon itself and to the container, as the winding operation continues. During the winding of the strip the shear 22-2 is moved transversely with respect to the strip of paper 25 until the portion 27 is the full width. By means of this method, the hoop is simultaneously formed and attached to the container. After the hoop is completed, the container with the hoop attached is removed from the mandrel I33 and another container applied. The portion 28 of the strip 26 which was wound upon the reel 38 is next utilized in exactly the same manner as previously described.

My invention is highly advantageous in that an extremely simple, economical and practical method is employed for constructing the hoop and for applying the hoop and fasteners to the container. The hoop may be constructed from a continuous strip of material eliminating the necessity of cutting arcuate sheets adapted to be individually handled and applied to form the ultimate structure. By means of the method utilized, my improved hoop fits both the conical outer surface of the container as well as the cylindrical inner surface of the flange of the cover. With my invention fasteners can be secured to the hoop during the formation thereof whereby the construction of the container is simplified and the fastening of the cover to the container made extremely simple and practical.

Changes in the method herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of forming a laminated hoop having a tapered inner surface extending throughout the length thereof which consists in winding a strip of flexible material of gradually increasing width upon a tapering obect with one edge of the strip confined substantially to the plane containing the end of the hoop having the lesser internal diameter, and with the other edge of the strip progressively advancing along the object toward the other end of the hoop and in securing the convolutions of the strip together.

2. The method of forming a laminated hoop having a tapered inner surface extending throughout the length thereof which consists in Winding a tapered strip of flexible material upon a conical object with one edge of the strip confined substantially to the plane containing the edge of the hoop having the lesser internal diameter and with the other edge of the strip progressively advancing along the object toward the other end of the hoop and in securing the convolutions of the strip together.

3. The method of forming a laminated hoop with a tapered inner surface extending throughout the length thereof, which consists in winding a tapered strip of flexible material upon a tapered object starting with the small end of the strip at the small end of the object and retaining one edge of the strip substantially in the plane of the end of the hoop having the smaller inner diameter and in securing the convolutions of the strip together.

4. The method of forming a laminated hoop with a taper which consists in unrolling a strip of thin flexible material of a width equal to the maximum width of the hoop, in cutting the strip lengthwise during the unwinding thereof by shifting the line of cut from one edge of the strip to the other to form two tapering portions from the strip, in attaching the end of the narrow portion of the strip to an object and winding the same upon the object, in attaching the wider portion of the strip to a reel and reeling the same upon the reel during the formation of the hoop and in subsequently attaching the outermost end of the portion of the strip Wound upon the reel to an object and in forming the second hoop from the second named portion of the strip in a similar manner.

5. The method of attaching a fastener to a laminated hoop, which consists in winding a thin strip of flexible material upon an object, in placing upon the wound portion of the hoop prior to the completion thereof, a member having an eye therein disposed with the eye projecting outwardly beyond one end of the hoop and in continuing the winding of the strip of flexible material over said member and upon the partly formed part of the hoop, to cause the member to become imbedded within said hoop.

6. The method of attaching a fastener to a laminated hoop which consists in winding a tapered strip of thin flexible material upon an object starting with the small end of the strip, in retaining one edge of the strip substantially in the plane of one end of the hoop, in placing a member having an eye and laterally extending portions projecting from the end thereof upon the strip of the material after the same has been partially wound with the laterally extending portions of the member projecting outwardly beyond the tapered edge of the strip and with the eye extending outwardly beyond the other edge of the strip, and in continuing the winding of the strip to completely cover the laterally extending portions of the member.

'7. The method of forming a tapered container with a cylindrical rim which consists in mounting the container upon a mandrel, in winding a tapered strip of flexible material upon the container with one edge of the strip confined substantially to the plane containing the edge of the rim having the lesser internal diameter and with the other edge of the strip progressively advancing along the container toward the other edge of the rim and in simultaneously attaching the convolutions of the hoop to the container and to one another.

8. The method of forming a tapered container with a cylindrical hoop which consists in mounting the container upon a mandrel, in unrolling a strip of thin flexible material of a width equal to the maximum width of the hoop, in cutting the strip lengthwise during the unwinding thereof by shifting the line of cut from one edge of the strip to the other to form two tapering portions from the strip, in attaching the end of the narrow portion of the strip to a container and winding the same upon the container, in attaching the wider portion of the strip to a reel and reeling the same upon the reel during the formation of the hoop and in subsequently attaching the outermost end of the portion of the strip wound upon the reel to a container and in forming the second hoop from the second named portion of the strip in a similar manner.

SWAN SMI'I'I-I. 

